Drive down Bone Hill Road in Cummaquid and one of the first things you will see after passing a smattering of homes is rolling meadowland vibrant with seasonal color. It is a stunning vista; inviting and pristine. That is how the neighbors want to keep it. For years it was believed that the stretch of meadow was a part of the Audubon Society's Long Pasture Sanctuary preserve across the road. Then, in 2003, a developer began the permit process for two house lots on the land, prompting the neighbors to band together in an effort to save Bone Hill Farm. Calling themselves the Committee to Preserve Northside Open Space, members began to raise the $700,000 necessary to preserve the land. With the Dec. 15 fund-raising deadline approaching, they are making progress.

"As of this week, we have $380,000 pledged or in hand," said Duncan Gibson, president of the committee. That includes $270,000 in donations from friends and neighbors, $200,000 from the Town of Barnstable and a $20,000 donation by the Sheehan Family Foundation. A highly anticipated grant challenge in the works could mean greater success for the committee.

There are some who claim this is simply the result of a neighbor dispute over trails that traverse the meadow. To them, it's just a meadow. "This has nothing to do with that," said Gibson. "This has really united the neighborhood. Several neighbors have already given two or three times or pledged to give more as the campaign continues."

Kathy Sferra of the Audubon Society said, "I think it's a really great example of a neighborhood coming together to work toward a common goal. Instead of going to town meetings and stomping their feet, these people are putting their money where their mouths are."

Gibson stressed that Bone Hill Farm is more than a meadow. "Ecologically, it is very important as it is one of only five known places on Cape Cod where the Woodcock breed," he said.

Jaci Barton of the Barnstable Land Trust agrees. "From a habitat perspective this is a critical open meadow habitat," she said. "Most on Cape Cod have turned into forest or have become house lots. This is one of the largest open meadow habitats in the Mid-Cape and is abundant in wildlife."

Barton also points out the merits of complementing the Audubon property. "Whenever we can add to an existing sanctuary ,it is a good thing," she said. "For wildlife,: the bigger the sanctuary the better. They rely on the larger areas and the edge habitats provided by these meadows." Bone Hill Farm motivated Julie Seligmann to move to Cummaquid. "I drove down that road and I fell in love," she said. When she heard the land might be developed, she joined the preservation efforts.

"This is my first volunteer project," Seligmann said. "It has given me a chance not only to meet my neighbors but also to do something toward helping maintain the land for future generations. I love the Cape, but Cummaquid is such a special place."

As the Dec. 15 deadline approaches, committee members remain optimistic, sharing the belief of Ned Handy, "If we get the right support," he said, "we can make it happen."

For information about the Committee to Preserve Northside Open Space and how to help with the Save Bone Hill Farm campaign, call 508-362-7475 or go to savebonehill.org.